Civil & Structural Architect, Power Generation

About the Team

OpenAI, in close collaboration with our capital and delivery partners, is building the infrastructure required to support frontier AI systems. The Data Center Engineering team defines repeatable technical standards and carries them through design, construction, commissioning, and operational readiness. The team works across data center facilities, power generation, compute infrastructure, construction, procurement, and operations to deliver reliable capacity at unprecedented scale and speed.

About the Role

We are seeking a Civil & Structural Architect to lead the CSA scope for on-site power-generation systems serving large AI data center campuses. You will develop and review site, foundation, structural, enclosure, and building solutions for generation plants and their balance-of-plant systems. You will connect equipment and vendor requirements to practical, permitted, constructible designs that perform safely through installation, startup, operation, and maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and review CSA basis-of-design documents, criteria, specifications, calculations, drawings, and vendor requirements for generation facilities.
• Lead site layout, grading, drainage, roads, underground interfaces, equipment foundations, structural steel, buildings, and architectural enclosure design.
• Translate generator, turbine, engine, transformer, switchgear, fuel, exhaust, cooling, and controls requirements into coordinated CSA designs.
• Evaluate static, dynamic, vibration, wind, seismic, thermal, fire, acoustic, and maintenance-access requirements.
• Coordinate geotechnical investigations, surveys, permitting packages, constructability reviews, and field-design changes.
• Review consultant, EPC, OEM, and contractor deliverables and resolve design gaps at discipline interfaces.
• Define CSA readiness checks before installation and startup.
• Support procurement, factory and field reviews, construction quality, commissioning, and final turnover.
• Create repeatable CSA reference designs and technical standards that can be adapted across campuses.
• Qualifications
• 8+ years of civil, structural, or architectural engineering experience, including substantial delivery or owner-side review of power-generation facilities through construction, startup and operating handover. Demonstrated experience coordinating OEM foundation and support requirements, geotechnical and dynamic analyses, equipment alignment and settlement criteria, and construction verification.
• Deep experience in at least one CSA discipline and demonstrated ability to coordinate the complete CSA scope.
• Experience designing or reviewing foundations, structures, buildings, equipment support, site civil systems, and construction documents.
• Experience with gas turbines, reciprocating engines, substations, central utility plants, or large generator installations.
• Working knowledge of applicable building, structural, fire, accessibility, and energy codes and permitting requirements.
• Ability to evaluate vendor data and multidisciplinary interfaces and convert them into clear design requirements.
• Experience supporting projects through construction, field changes, commissioning, and closeout.
• Bachelor's degree in civil, structural, architectural engineering, architecture, or a related field.
• Preferred Skills
• Professional Engineer or architecture license.
• Experience with heavy-frame turbine, HRSG, steam-turbine, condenser and major piping/support interfaces.
• Experience with modular or prefabricated power-generation systems and rapid site deployment.